A Thunderous Evolution (ONE SHOT)
by sailorillyana
Summary: Makoto Kino has lived most of her life ignored by her peers. But she turned a new leaf in her life and, all at once, her entire world changed.


Makoto Kino had always been a hands-on sort of girl. Her short-temper did nothing to help the fact that she was always bullied. She had always been bigger than the other kids in a lot of ways – she was taller, stronger, and more outspoken. These things didn't stop her from being bullied, but she protected herself every time. The hours in detention were made up for with Karate classes. Her parents saw it as cathartic for their daughter and her temperament, and it helped a bit to mitigate things. She kept her black belt in her locker at school, and it struck fear in the minds of her bullies. Makoto had few friends throughout her childhood, and the ones she did make were trouble makers (the only ones who could keep up with her level of energy and her short-temper), and they never lasted long. Most of her school breaks were spent climbing trees and discovering new bugs crawling around the leaves and branches. She was as carefree as children came, but only her parents knew just how truly loving their young daughter was.

So, when they died in a horrific plane crash, it only made sense that Makoto's entire world crashed down around her. She lived with her grandmother, her only living kin, for a short period, and it turned out better than anyone could've hoped for a new orphan. Her grandmother taught her the magic of cooking and gardening, growing her own organic vegetables and fruits and teaching her where to shop for the best fresh herbs and the most effective, delicious recipes. Unfortunately, not a year after her parents' death, her grandmother passed as well.

The greatest lesson her grandmother taught her was that, no matter what, she must press on. She had lost so many people important to her in a short period, but she was getting older. Despite the variety of foster homes she had been put in – ranging from neglectful to loving and fulfilling – Makoto maintained her upbeat vigor. She still got into occasional fights (if only ever to protect people who could not fight back, be it out of fear or out of being too weak to do so), but always took the punishments in stride.

She stayed in the system for five years. When she turned 14, Makoto was able to move into a small apartment in the Juuban district of Tokyo. She had small plants growing throughout it, and various recipes scribbled on notecards and scattered throughout the small kitchen. The small balcony she had was covered in various vegetable and fruit plants. The living room was neat: it had a small bookshelf in one corner and a fern placed next to it, there was a sofa and a recliner. She left out a television – television shows never were too important to her and she didn't get enough visitors for it to matter. She pursued hobbies that kept her calm (knitting was a favorite), and went on long walks every day after finishing her school work.

But today was full of completely new opportunities. After fiercely defending a much-bullied classmate, Makoto was expelled from her middle school and forced to transfer to Juuban Municipal Middle School. It was her first day and, dressed in her old school uniform (she had yet to receive one from her new school); she headed out to a world of new adventures.

Being who she was, it seemed only fitting that she felt protective over a girl, who looked about her age, being harassed by a few older, strong men. Clearly the girl, who looked as if she had dumplings on top of her head, was terrified. It was only in Makoto's nature to step in. "She just bumped into him, and you're getting on her case? Talk about cheap."

The men were definitely caught off guard, but they kept up their tough exteriors anyway. One of them stepped forward, "You may be a cutie, but you're not getting away with that!"

Disgusted by his first comment, she reacted in the only way she knew how – to grab his wrist and throw him onto the ground. One of them called her a bitch but, of course, she dodged his fist and kneed him in the gut instead, knocking him to the ground. Makoto was fearless and always happy to protect the fearful and weak.

The strange girl was blown away, her only response being to mutter "amazing" before Makoto asked if she was all right, winked at the girl's cat, and then they parted ways. Something about the short interaction with the blonde-haired girl felt so odd, so _nostalgic _to Makoto. It was eerie, how it felt as though she'd protected her before. _But I've never seen her before in my life!_ She considered, _it must just be the nerves of starting a new school._

Things didn't feel any different here. People still spread rumors about her. She could hear the disgust in their voices as she passed, as they whispered tales of her dangerous temper. "They just won't care to get to know me," Makoto sighed to herself as she sat down for lunch. "All they care about is what they've heard." But she could feel someone behind the bush she was sitting in front of, and their eyes were burning a hole in the back of her head. She turned around to see the same girl from earlier ogling her lunch.

"Would you like to try some?" Makoto asked, almost desperate to make a friend.

"You're that girl from earlier!" She replied, scratching the back of her head. "Thanks for, uh, saving me. It was super cool of you."

"It's no problem," Makoto told her. "I'm just very protective over girls who are bullied. Anyway, you wanna try some of my lunch? I know you can't keep your eyes off of it."

She giggled, "I don't usually eat much, but sure! I'm Usagi Tsukino, by the way."

Smiling, Makoto offered her a few pieces of sushi. "I'm Makoto Kino. I just transferred here."

Mouth full, Usagi giggled, "I've heard you're pretty tough! I saw that this morning." Makoto grew nervous, but the girl continued. "You don't seem scary, though. You seem more… protective."

Relieved, Makoto smiled and relaxed against the bush. "I am. Don't get me wrong, I used to get in fights all of the time. But that was until my parents died. My grandmother taught me how to channel my energy rather than try to get rid of it through catharsis; that's the reason I'm a black belt, my parents thought a cathartic release was the best one. Grandma knew better." Studying the students around her and wondering why the hell she was telling someone *who was pretty much a stranger) her life story, she continued. "I was bullied a lot as a kid, so my grandmother taught me that it would be best to defend myself – and those who couldn't defend themselves. And if you must know, I was expelled for fighting. I broke a guy's nose and gave another a concussion for harassing a girl on her way home from school; similar to your situation this morning, only worse, unfortunately. I don't regret anything."

Usagi became excited, "You're so cool!"

"No, I'm _dangerous_!" She joked. Usagi just laughed nervously.

There was a short awkward silence, and Makoto almost gave up on the possibility of a friendship, as natural as it felt to be talking with this girl, but Usagi finally spoke. "Hey, you wanna come to the arcade with me after school? I'd invite Ami, but she has Cram School, and Rei has shrine duties, so it would be nice to have a new friend come with me!"

"Ami and Rei…" Makoto whispered. Why did those names bring back the same nostalgic feelings from earlier? But she didn't care about that now. Usagi called her 'friend!' She couldn't turn down the opportunity. "I'd love to!"

The bell rang as soon as she said it. Usagi jumped up, "I'm so happy! I'll see you later, Mako!" She found another friend of hers and they ran into the school building together.

_Hm. A new friend_.

The rest of the day was a blur. Makoto was too excited about her new friendship, one that felt like it'd actually go somewhere, to care about any of the lessons or the fact that she was still being yelled at for not yet having been given a uniform for her new school. The rumors stopped bothering her, because someone had finally given her a chance, and the friendship felt like it was meant to exist anyway. It was an amazing feeling, something she hadn't felt in so long: acceptance.

Acceptance was odd to Makoto. The only people who had ever accepted her were her parents, grandmother, and Karate instructor. She scared peers and teachers alike, but she had people who accepted and believed in her. Well, until her grandma died and she stopped going to Karate. To experience it again was exciting and it was beautiful. Her excitement was overwhelming to the point that she practically ran to the arcade.

When she arrived, in shape enough to not be anywhere near out of breath, Usagi was nowhere to be found. "Can I help you with something?" A warm voice came from behind the front counter.

As her eyes fell upon the man standing there, Makoto lost her breath. A beautiful blonde boy, clearly a few years older, stood there smiling at her. _He almost looks like… no, no. It doesn't matter._ She couldn't think of something to say fast enough, so he just stared at her for the thirty seconds before she found her grounding again. "Um, uh, is Usagi… uh, Usagi Tsukino here? Have… have you seen her?"

"Oh, Usagi! She usually doesn't come until after she stops by her house. It'll be about a half hour. Are you waiting on her? I'm Motoki Furuhata! This is my family's arcade. Would you like any ice cream or anything?"

He barely gave her time to answer his questions and to process the information, but the flow of his voice made her feel comfortable and happy. It was so warm, so inviting. "I'm Makoto Kino. I just transferred to Usagi's school. We're supposed to meet here after school, so I'll just wait. I'm fine, I don't want anything."

"Well, shouldn't you call your parents?" He asked, concerned.

She looked down, not ready to delve into her life story. "Nah, it's not a problem. On second thought, can I have a soda?"

He grabbed a cup and filled it up with her choice of drink, sticking a straw in it and sliding it across the counter. "So, Makoto Kino. How did you meet our wonderful Usagi?"

His piercing blue eyes nearly killed her, the way they studied her and the way he said her name, it absolutely killed her. "Well, she was being harassed this morning by a couple of meat heads when I passed by and saw it, so I kind of helped her out. We didn't know we went to the same school until I caught her eyeing my lunch. I mean, I accidentally told her my entire life story, but I don't think it was necessarily a mistake." She chuckled and took a sip of her Dr. Pepper.

"Your entire life story, huh? And what's that, Makoto Kino?" He leaned over the counter.

She shook her head, trying not to blush at him being closer to her, "Oh, I don't want to bother you with my cry baby musings. I'm almost like a game – you have to unlock different levels of our relationship to get to the important, in-depth stuff."

He narrowed his eyes, "So Usagi moved easily through your game, but I'm stuck at the beginning?"

Makoto rolled her eyes, "She's a girl. I open up easier to girls."

Motoki leaned away, standing up a bit more. "That's interesting, considering you aren't like other girls, Makoto."

Straightening up, Makoto made her voice firm, "What the hell is wrong with other girls?"

The intimidating, protective side of her was coming out. Motoki didn't know how to save face. "I… uh… I just mean that-"

"No, my being tough and strong and having a black belt in Karate (she was quite proud of it) doesn't diminish or make less the abilities, attributes, or interests of other girls. Some of us like pink and lace and listening to pop music and wearing dresses and heels and makeup! Some of us like black and blue and green and solid t-shirts and jeans and tennis shoes and playing sports and getting dirty! Some of us like a mixture of both! And I, for one, do not appreciate you acting as if I'm more special or more important than them because of the things I like and the habits I have." Fuming, she took a big drink and began to sulk.

"I'm sorry, I didn't intend to make it seem like that's what I meant. I don't think there's anything wrong with other girls. You just struck me a-"

"As one of the guys?" She cut him off a second time. "I get it, boys like when they can talk to girls. You think I'm cool because I don't just talk about fashion and makeup. I have a black belt and I think sports are cool. That doesn't mean I'm Extra Cool, and I participate in 'girl' activities like cooking and cleaning and gardening and shopping, too. I'm just Makoto. I'm just another awesome girl in a world full of awesome girls. There is nothing truly special about me."

"You are something else," he said in amazement as Usagi entered the building and took a seat next to her new friend. Her black cat with a crescent shaped bald spot followed her in. Motoki greeted her and her cat, "Usagi and Luna! Hey!"

"Motokiiiii!" Usagi drew out his name far too long, Makoto felt. "The regular, please!"

"Triple hot fudge sundae? Coming right up!" He became cheerful once again.

Usagi turned to Makoto. "Mako! I'm sorry if I kept you waiting!"

Her cheerfulness was almost too much for Makoto, but it was nice in a way, to see someone so excited to be in her presence. "It's okay; I was just talking to your friend, Motoki."

Jealousy overtook the girl's eyes. "And what did you talk about with my friend!? Hm? Do you _like _him?"

Makoto leaned away from her, waving her arms in the air, "What? No, no. Nothing like that. We were just talking."

"I accidentally pissed her off," Motoki muttered from the opposite side of the counter, putting the final touches on Usagi's sundae. "But she stuck up for the integrity of young women everywhere. It was pretty awesome." Anyone could tell how he was walking on eggshells to try and not go through the whole conversation again.

"Oh!" Usagi perked back up again as he set the sundae in front of her, handing her a long spoon. It almost disgusted Makoto how quickly and messily she ate it. "Anyway! My favorite game is the Sailor V game, and I think we should play it!"

"Oh, okay." Makoto muttered, taking another sip. She looked awkwardly up at Motoki, hoping she didn't scare him off. He was already watching her, smiling softly as he wiped up the counter where he made a small mess. Blushing, she smiled back and looked down at the counter nervously.

Noticing the short exchange, Usagi leaned in closely to Makoto's face. "You think Motoki is cute, don't you, Mako?"

Giggling obnoxiously, Makoto shook her head. "No, no. I told you, Usagi, it's nothing like that!" Trying to defuse the situation, she stood up, "Come on; let's play that Sailor V game you were talking about."

Completely forgetting everything before, Usagi jumped up and ran toward the machine, pulling out a coin purse and yelling for Makoto to hurry up. Picking up her cup, Makoto smiled and waved at Motoki shyly before slinking away to the game machine. Liking someone, especially a man she hardly knew, was a new thing for Makoto. Yeah, she had had boyfriends in the past (one she was particularly in love with, who left her as a result of her "size") and Motoki wasn't her boyfriend, but she still found something so special about him. He listened to her. He didn't judge her. He was sweet and he seemed to care. That's what was important to her; those are important aspects of people that she cared about.

.

Finally having finished her homework around 11, Makoto dragged herself to her room. She flopped onto the bed and fell asleep quickly, dreaming of love and happiness and… fighting? She briefly recalled something about the planet Jupiter and the Moon, and protecting _something_,but nothing really clicked together for her.

She woke up with a heavy headache, but knew she had to go to school. Doubtlessly, Usagi would definitely hang out with her again. And they would go to the arcade, and they would see him. She appreciated Usagi's friendship, of course, but she also appreciated Motoki's pretty face. If she was being honest with herself, she had feelings for him. It almost frightened her. But there was something else digging at the back of her mind and it had a lot to do with the fighting and the protection part of her dream. What did it even _mean_? Why was it affecting her? Why was she being so stupid? _Maybe it's not that. Maybe I missed a homework assignment_. She didn't think she did, but something had to give.

As she walked to school, Makoto turned the same corner she had the day before when she ran into Usagi and saw a weird sight. Some kind of… monster? Yeah, a monster. Some kind of monster was attacking Sailor Moon. She immediately cut in, lifting the monster over her head, "I'm a huge fan of Sailor Moon! How dare you do this to her?" She threw it hard onto the ground.

Usagi's cat approached her, a bewildered look on its face, staring at her forehead, and it confused Makoto. _Luna? What's Luna doing here? _It jumped in the air, doing a backflip, and a sort of wand appeared in the air. "Makoto! Take the wand. You are Sailor Jupiter and it is your duty as a sailor soldier to protect the world and the Princess!" Makoto nearly passed out. A talking cat? No way. Clearly she was still asleep and dreaming. "Take the wand and shout _Jupiter Power Make Up_!"

Well, it was only a dream anyway. Makoto grabbed the wand and repeated the words. Power filled her every pore and she could feel the electricity running through her veins. Everything started to make sense – the dream, the nostalgia. Her memories immediately began to come to her and she realized who she was and her true purpose in life. As her outfit turned into a dress of green, pink, and white, with bows and a tiara and some stellar boots, she knew what her duty was. "My planet Jupiter! Brew a storm! Call the clouds! Bring down the lightning!" Her tiara extended and her body was overwhelmed with power, "_Supreme Thunder_!"

She did it. She subdued the monster long enough for Sailor Moon to get rid of it. And then Moon detransformed. "U-Usagi?"

Usagi smiled, "Mako! You're Sailor Jupiter, the fourth soldier! I'm so happy." She ran forward and threw her arms around her friend.

"Sailor Jupiter…" It just felt so right.

.

After school, Makoto headed to the arcade knowing she'd have time to hang out with Motoki before Usagi showed up. He was sweeping the floor when she arrived. "Hey, Motoki!"

He was a bit startled and seemed to be a little afraid of her at first. "Um, hello, Makoto."

"You don't have to be scared of me." Makoto said simply.

He stopped sweeping, stood up straight, and smiled, leaning onto the broom. "I'm not. You're a pretty cool girl, Makoto Kino. Want another soda?"

"Hmmm," she considered. "Actually, that sundae you made Usagi looked really yummy!"

Motoki chuckled, "Coming right up." After a few moments, he sat the monstrosity of an ice cream sundae in front of her, wielding a large spoon like he had given Usagi the day before. "On the House."

"Careful, your girlfriend might find out you're giving other girls freebies," Makoto joked as she dipped her spoon in.

"I, uh, I-I-I don't have a girlfriend, actually." He nearly choked on the air after her comment. "We broke up recently, actually." His redundancy clearly reflected his uneasiness.

"It's because you were giving free ice cream to other pretty girls, wasn't it?" She winked at him.

He laughed sadly, "No, it wasn't that."

"Oh. What was it?" Makoto pressed.

He leaned against the counter, "Oh, no, Makoto Kino. You have to work your way up to that level of our relationship!"

"A taste of my own medicine. Nice." Makoto couldn't help but feel her stomach drop. It wasn't a bad thing, it was more to do with the nerves she got from looking at and speaking to him. She liked Motoki. As in, she _really _liked him. He was cute and, more importantly, intelligent and independent. "Maybe we can spill our stories over dinner tonight? I'll do the cooking." She was becoming brave, and it was such a fulfilling thought.

His eyes widened, but it didn't strike her as a negative reaction. "Your place or mine?"

"Ummm…" She rested her chin on her fist, "Yours. I'll bring the stuff to make it and you can just sit there and be your pretty self." _Woah, when did I get so bold?_

"Oh! So I'm _pretty _now, huh?" He laughed.

"Yeah, you're not too bad." She smiled coyly and took another bite of her ice cream.

"Motoki!" The familiar voice echoed throughout the arcade. As Usagi sat down next to Makoto, her eyes went wide. "You said you made those sundaes for only me! Why does Mako get one? It's not fair!" She began to wail, to Makoto's confusion.

"Why are you crying?" Makoto side-eyed her, "it's just ice cream.

"But it's ice cream made by Motoki!" She cried even harder.

Dropping the broom, Motoki covered his face with his hands. "Usagi, it's not that big of a deal."

"Yes it is!" Usagi blubbered.

Trying to resolve the situation, Makoto took over. "Hey, uh, Usagi. I have plans tonight with some old friends," it was obvious that she couldn't mention her and Motoki getting together, "So I don't have much time. Wanna play some Sailor V?"

She stopped crying immediately, "Yay! Come on, Mako!"

Usagi grabbed her hand and began to walk away. Makoto smiled hopefully at Motoki as Usagi pulled her away. The look on his face – the pure yet subtle excitement hidden behind the professional exterior he had to exhibit to the customers that had just walked in.

.

"Mako," Usagi began as they exited the arcade. They'd only been there for a little over an hour, but Usagi managed to keep her promise to let Makoto out so she could get ready for whatever evening plans she had, "You like Motoki, don't you?"

"I told you no, Usagi!" She laughed nervously and then stopped when she saw familiar faces approaching. "Look, it's Ami and Rei!"

The intelligent, blue-haired girl approached them, the fiery, long black-haired girl at her side. Ami, her blue hair bouncing smoothly with every step she took, spoke first. "Makoto, Usagi! Hey!"

"Rei! Ami! Hi!" Usagi shouted, overly excited. Makoto was still getting used to that part of her personality.

"What are you two up to?" Rei asked as she and Ami turned around, taking place next to the two girls and began walking with them.

"I have plans with some old friends tonight," Makoto lied again, "so Usagi's walking me home."

"Old friends, huh?" Rei moved closer to Makoto, "_Boys_?"

"No, just some friends!" Makoto answered quickly, anxious about being found out. She discovered that Motoki was kind of the group-wide crush with Usagi and her other friends. Except Rei, she was kind of interested in another friend of his. Ami was _obviously _in love with him, too, she just pretended otherwise. (Then again, no one could ever read Ami's emotions too well.) As Makoto's apartment building came into view, all of their communication watches began to go off.

On the other end, Luna's voice was urgent. "Girls! There's a monster attack a block away. Transform quickly and get over there!"

They all transformed and then ran to the location Luna transmitted to them. Mars was the first to attack. "_Fire Soul_!"

The monster turned its attention to them, away from the innocent civilians it was sucking energy out of. It attacked them, sucking a lot of the energy out of all four girls. Jupiter stood up finally. "_Supreme Thunder_!"

It laughed at them, hardly wounded by the attack. It hurled one back at them, and it was more damaging than the first. Mercury coughed, "If I could just…." Suddenly, a rose cut through the center of the group, stopping the monster's attack.

Some guy in a tuxedo showed up (Moon was unmistakablyin love with him (rather, obsessed may be a better word for it)). He said some really sly words and, after Mercury used her Bubble Spray attack, Moon was able to get rid of it with her Moon Tiara Boomerang. The man said something else before leaving, but nothing Makoto was concerned about.

"I'm late!" Jupiter shouted as she began to run toward her apartment building. She'd detransform once she got into the entryway where there was a security camera blind spot.

"I feel like her friends wouldn't care that much… It's only been ten minutes." Mercury said with a small voice.

"She sure is acting weird." Mars said, only to contribute to the conversation. She didn't really care that much, honestly. "Okay, I have to go back to the temple. I'll see you guys later!"

"Mercury, do you ever feel like everyone's too busy for us?" Sailor Moon turned around to hear her friend's question, but Mercury was already walking away.

"I have to go study!" She shouted, not bothering to turn around.

Moon slumped, muttering, "Everyone always has other things to do," and she trudged her way home, taking back alleys so she could detransform before she got there.

Back in her apartment, Makoto was looking frantically for a cute outfit, making a mental list of the things she needed for the sushi and miso soup. _Nori, soy sauce, tuna, salmon, shrimp, sushi rice, dashi, wasabi, miso paste, ginger, negi, imitation crab, and tofu – that should be all of it! _She found an outfit complete with high-waisted white shorts for the warm weather, a pair of light yellow flats, and a deep purple blouse. She put on light makeup and gathered all of the ingredients in one of her reusable grocery bags. Before leaving, she glanced in the mirror. _Maybe I should wear my hair down today_... She took it out of the pony tail and her heart jumped a little. She never wore it down because it made her look so much like her mother, the memory of their deaths still affecting her. But she liked the way it looked, and that was that. Making a mental note to water the plants after she got home, she walked out of the apartment and locked the door behind her. It was almost as if she had completely forgotten about her life-changing experience only minutes ago...

She replayed his address over and over again in her head. She knew the location and the building, so finding it wouldn't be difficult. If anything, Makoto was more annoyed that she was running ten minutes late. She had always hated being late.

When she finally arrived, she knocked on the door. He opened it almost immediately. "Makoto! Come in, please." She smiled shyly and walked in, setting the stuff down on the counter. "I heard there was an attack by your building. Are you all right?"

"Oh yeah," she giggled. (Makoto _doesn't _giggle.) "No worries. I was already safe and sound in my apartment when it happened! I watched the sailor soldiers fight, though! It was awesome."

Smiling, he watched her for a moment before nodding, "I'm glad. I am." Clapping his hands together, he turned to the kitchen counter. "So! What are you making me?"

"Sushi and Miso soup!" She moved behind the counter and began to unpack all of the ingredients. "A classic!"

"I've been looking forward to it." Their eyes met and Makoto felt like she was on fire. She had never felt so nervous in her life! Finally, she shook herself out of the trance-like state and began to make the miso soup.

"I hope you like it! It's an old family recipe and has a few tweaks to it that you wouldn't expect, but I promise it's delicious." Trying to control her shaking hands, Makoto started quickly putting things together. She wouldn't mess up, of course; she'd done this way too many times.

"I'm sure I will!" He said cheerfully as he walked to the living room. She looked up as she was mixing ingredients and noticed how everything looked freshly clean. Of course, there was a visual difference in things that were cleaned last week and things that were cleaned in the last ten minutes. His apartment fell into the former. It wasn't shiny or glamorous; he had obviously done it in the short amount of time between when he got home and when she arrived. It almost struck her as sweet, in a way. It meant he cared about first impressions. (Besides, Makoto loved men who worried.)

"It looks very nice in here," she commented, pulling out a knife and cutting board.

"I try to keep it clean in here as much as possible!" He was lying. Makoto giggled again, finding it odd that he's the only person that can make her _giggle_. It was almost disgusting. He was only a stranger the other day, was he not?

"No you don't!" She told him, her giggle evolving into a full-on laugh. She nearly sliced her finger from trying to chop tuna and laugh at the same time.

"I do, too!" He argued. "Do you doubt me, my dear Makoto?"

She gave him a light-hearted, albeit intense look. "One, I'm not your dear. And two, of course. Men don't know how to clean." She laughed again. He managed to make time fly for her, because before she knew it, all of the ingredients were chopped and ready for being put together, just as the rice maker beeped, signifying that it was finished.

She carefully put all of the different sushi rolls together, making sure to make them pretty. It was less for impressing Motoki and more out of her cooking integrity.

She made four rolls and, realizing it would probably be too much for the both of them, stirred the soup and then put all of the sushi, soy sauce, and wasabi on the plate. "It's ready!"

"Woah, Mako. (Can I call you that?) That looks amazing. I might actually enjoy dinner tonight!"

"Don't you know how to cook?" She asked as she grabbed some chopsticks, picked up the plate, and set it on the table.

"Well, no. I am a man, Mako!" He chuckled.

"Cooking isn't just a thing for women, Motoki. Men can do it, too. It doesn't make them any less of a man. Duh." Motoki blushed. His skin was a deep shade of pink when he picked up a piece of Toro.

"So men can't clean but they can cook, huh? Where does that make sense?" He laughed.

"Cleaning is a habit, cooking is a skill." Makoto replied succinctly. "Now, eat your Toro."

He ate it and his eyes widened as he chewed, "Wow. Mako, this is amazing!" She smiled smugly as she ate a piece of the California Roll, practically soaked in soy sauce. "You know," he commented, "I never expected you to be the type to enjoy Western sushi."

"I can enjoy less fancy types of sushi! It's simple but, with the right amount of soy sauce, it's delicious. No reason to shun it just because it isn't a Japanese original." To further make her point, she ate another.

He stuck his finger into the cup of soy sauce and wiped it on her nose. She gasped, reciprocating the action. Within five minutes, sushi was thrown everywhere, the miso soup was over cooked, and Makoto had soy sauce all in her hair while Motoki was picking up pieces of rice off of his clothes and face, both laughing so hard they could barely breathe.

"I worked so hard on this dinner!" Makoto choked out between laughs. She began to wipe the soy sauce out of her hair and off her face when Motoki leaned over and wiped a bit off of the corner of her mouth. Smiling at her, he stood up, extending his hand.

"Come on, let's clean this up and I'll take you to my favorite sushi place. Not as good as yours, but it'll have to do." And they _did_ clean up, but it was Makoto who did all of the work (naturally). He handed her a brush so she could put her hair up (why did she even bother wearing it down?) and went to go change his clothes.

After she fixed her hair and got the drops of soy sauce off of her blouse, Makoto plopped down on the chair and waited for Motoki to come out. When he did, he donned a green button-up and some jeans. "Ready?"

They ended up at a relatively nice sushi place, one Makoto hadn't been to since her parents were still alive. They took her all of the time and it was a bit nostalgic. There, Makoto and Motoki were finally able to spill their stories. Makoto about her parents and grandmother and the solace she found in her plants and hobbies; Motoki about his girlfriend moving to Africa and realizing she wouldn't be able to love him while they were away.

"'Love makes the heart grow fonder' is quite the saying, but it's not applicable for most people, I guess." He smiled sadly.

"I just don't think people have enough faith in themselves and others." But Makoto was worried about one thing. "You're not still in love with her, are you?"

He waved it off, "Oh, don't worry about that. It hurt a lot at first, but I've moved on." Her relief was almost instantaneous. He leaned further over the table, pushing his plate to the side and crossing his arms. "Makoto, can we do this again? Can this not be the last time we 'hang out'? I'd really like for you to come over and cook for me again, without me ruining it."

"I would love to." She could feel her face reddening as he smiled at her, his blue eyes boring their way into her heart and into her soul. "Yeah, any time."

.

He walked her home and oh, she wanted so badly to kiss him (and he wanted the same, to be honest). They got to her door step and turned toward one another. "Well, this is it," she said, almost sadly. He brushed a piece of her bangs behind her ear and smiled, cupping her cheek. She begged him inside her head to just _kiss _her, dammit! He bent over, kissed her cheek (like a true gentleman), and said his goodbyes. As he walked away, Makoto felt like she was melting into herself. _Oh, I could get used to this._ Life was okay now, Makoto was okay now. Everything became even more beautiful to her. The sky, the stars, the flowers.

Makoto was a soldier, she was a friend, and she was a lover. She had an entire world to fear now, despite always being fearless, and she embraced it. She had the strength and passion to deal with it accordingly. She was Sailor Jupiter, she had friends amongst her peers, and she had love. It was all she had ever hoped for, and more.

* * *

AN: This is really long because Mako is my overall favorite of the soldiers! I have so much love for her :') (Setsuna is my favorite outer so I think she might be next... ehehehe.) Anyway, I know this is super long (well, for me; I've never written so much in one go!), but I hope you enjoyed it and please let me know if you did (or didn't, I promise it won't hurt my feelings too much)! :)


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